(A Study of II Corinthians 1:8 )

Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. once said, "If I had a formula for by-passing trouble, I wouldn't pass it around. I wouldn't be doing anybody a favor. Trouble creates a capacity to handle it. I don't say "embrace trouble". That's as bad as treating it as an enemy. I do say, however, meet it as a friend, for you'll see a lot of it and had better be on speaking terms with it.

I. THE POSSIBILITY OF IGNORANCE.

II Corinthians 1:8 flatly teaches that it is possible to be totally ignorant of what God has in mind for trouble. There is no point in saying, "For we do not want you to be ignorant brethren, of our trouble" unless it is a definite possibility to be untaught in this area. Incidentally, look up the word "ignorant" in your concordance and see all the potential areas for ignorance as it relates to ignorance. For example, believers generally are ignorant of spiritual gifts (I Corinthians 12:1) and that is evident by the few who know what God wants them to do and they are doing it. (Send for the booklet, "Eight Ways" which shows you how to find out what God wants you to do. Write to Songtime USA, Box 100 -Barnstable, MA 02630.) Now back to II Corinthians 1:8 - we can be ignorant in the area of pressure and trouble. This is seen by the Psalmist in Psalm 73. He was totally negative on life (Psalm 73:1-9). "Look" states the Psalmist, "I've had nothing but bad moments and that atheist down the street just won the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes!" That is a modern-day paraphrase but that is exactly what he is saying. Perhaps you have a loved one dealing with cancer and yet an acquaintance down the street has never gone to church in his life and the Mayo Clinic just gave him and his family a "thumbs up" medical report! In all these cases it is evident that we are ignorant when it comes to trouble. Incidentally, this all changed for the Psalmist when he pulled a Romans 8:28-29 and said, "Lord, bring me to maturity through this suffering." Read his contrasting reaction to trouble in Psalm 119:67 and 71: "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn Thy statutes."

II HOW BAD CAN IT GET?

Do you ever counsel yourself? Let me explain. 1995 was perhaps the best year I've ever had in the ministry. it began with a surprise gala birthday party which brought some of my dearest friends to the Cape - including Steve Brown. I never caught on even once that this big event was being planned. 1995 ended with a financial "plus" for Songtime USA plus the Lord making it crystal clear that Songtime was to launch a significant ministry among our troops in Bosnia. This plan couldn't have been clearer if God had spoken in an audible voice. Fortunately, the Devil didn't attend my big birthday bash but he moved into the area as soon as Dave Donnelly felt that he was the vehicle God would use to get the special cassettes on the military base in Bosnia. From 1996 to the present we have been conscious of a number one technique of Satan; namely, to try to keep us from doing what we knew God wanted us to do. "Wherefore, we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us." (I Thess. 2:18) Ever since I started preaching (that began in 1943 when I was at Bob Jones College Academy) I have referred to Job's friends - meaning people who vote "NO" on every I Corinthians 16:9 door of opportunity! During 1996-97 I never knew there were so many relatives of "Job's Friends". One day, I asked "How bad will it get?" and then I read II Corinthians 1:8-11. Just how bad did it get for Paul? Make your own list.

1. Paul received more pressure than he felt he deserved.

"We were burdened beyond measure." (II Corinthians 1:8)

2. Paul came to the place where he didn't think he could stand any additional pressure.

"We were burdened -- above strength".

3. Paul's pressure was so great he feared for his life. Even in his day he must have known stress could cause serious cardiac problems.

"We despaired even of life."

Not quite - but during 1996-1997 I almost said, "Move over, Paul, there are two of us!"

APPLICATION

Here is the value of this tremendous paragraph. If our pressure isn't as great as Paul's, then if we will apply his solution we too can know deliverance. Note what he did:

I. He related to the Omnipotence of God. II Corinthians 1:9-10

What does that mean? Simply this. There is no problem (I repeat - NO problem) that can challenge the Omnipotence of God. Read Romans 8:34-39. Let me quote the grand finale in verses 37-39: "Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." What else did Paul do?

2. He related to other believers for prayer support. II Corinthians 1:11

"Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf." We want our service personnel in Bosnia to receive this information (This is distributed through the Chaplains) so I'm counting on your support when you write Songtime USA, Box 100, Barnstable, MA 02630. Let me share one of the most thrilling prayer accounts I've read. No wonder the Brooklyn Tabernacle sees the midweek prayer meeting as well attended as the Sunday service.

This is a true story reported by an Overseas Missionary Fellowship missionary at his home church:

While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, I traveled every two weeks through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This requires camping overnight halfway. On one of these trips, I saw two men fighting in the city. One was seriously hurt, so I treated him and witnessed to him about the Lord Jesus Christ. I then returned home without incident. Upon arriving in the city several weeks later, I was approached by the man I had treated earlier. He told me he had known that I carried money and medicine. He said, "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle knowing you would camp over night. We waited for you to go asleep and planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. Just as we were about to move into your campsite, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards." I laughed at this and said, "I was certainly all alone out in the jungle campsite." The young man pressed the point, "No sir, I was not the only one to see the guards. My five friends also saw them and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone."

At this point of the church presentation in Michigan, one of the men in the church stood up and interrupted the missionary. He asked, "Can you tell me the exact date when this happened? The missionary thought for awhile and recalled the date.

The man in the congregation then gave his side of the story. He stated, "On that night in Africa it was day here. I was preparing to play golf. As I put my bags in the car, I felt the Lord leading me to pray for you. In fact, the urging was so great that I called men of this church together to pray for you. Will all of those men who met to pray please stand?"

The men who had met that day to pray together stood - there were 26 of them! Pass this along! And smile as you do so!